Seeing Red
by Haitus80
Summary: One drunken tryst at the CDC leads to drastic changes for the group. Early season two Caryl short story prompt. I hate summaries.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, strangers! This was a prompt I received from a friend a few months ago. I wrote it and then sent it to her directly because I wasn't sure if anyone else would be interested in reading another early season story. But, I've not managed to finish anything else, mostly because I'm out with an injury and can't write. It's been that way for over a month now. But anyway, I decided to share anyway and hopefully a few of you will enjoy it. Thanks for reading!**

He'd had a feeling that the damn RV wasn't gonna make it too far but he hadn't bothered voicing any of this. No one would have listened to him any damn way so there really hadn't been a point. All it would have accomplished would have been another reason for him to tell the whole lot of them "I told you so". So he had shaken his head and followed them out, waiting for it to take a crap and put them all in harms way.

The rest of them were gathered around discussing what to do about the situation while he stayed on the fringes of the group, watching, waiting for them to come up with something they all deemed sensible, even if it really wasn't.

The woman stayed close to the girl, her arm around her, her eyes flitting, always on the lookout for danger. When she looked up and met his eyes he dropped his head and walked off a little bit further, the blood rushing to his face, staining his neck and causing his ears to burn.

God, he had been so fucking stupid. So incredibly stupid. He had drank too damn much back at the CDC. The alcohol, the promise of a new start in a relatively safe place, the thought of a real future, no matter how flimsy, had put all of them in a strange place in their heads.

He had never acted like that in his fucking life and the one time that he did, it had to be her he had set his sights on. It had to be her that he decided to lose all of his inhibitions with. He had been bold, completely unashamed in his advances and she had complied, to his surprise. In hind sight he cringed just thinking about it. Because that was all it had been. Compliance. She'd basically given him permission to use her, and at the time he hadn't realized that that was what she had been doing. Not exactly participating, but allowing it to happen regardless.

Jesus, he felt bad. So fucking bad.

But that's what he had done. Wordlessly she had lead him to a corner in a dark room and allowed him to do what he wanted. He'd been clumsy, thoughtless, driven by a need that he hadn't even known had been simmering. He knew she hadn't exactly enjoyed it either, which only made it worse. Definitely not one of his few shining moments.

But he remembered things now that hadn't really registered to him at the time. Her body, which she hid well under shapeless clothes, was riddled with scars. And today, he was afraid. He was afraid because he wasn't sure if she only let him do what he had done because she had been afraid he would hurt her if she hadn't. It was glaringly fucking obvious that she was accustomed to pain, had endured more than her share of it, and the thought of her thinking that he would have forced her if she had refused made him sick to his stomach and made his head throb.

"Daryl?"

The sound of her soft voice speaking his name had him flinching and he was afraid to turn around because if their were accusations in her eyes then it would kill him. "Yeah?" he asked, looking off to the side, pretending that there was something very interesting over there so he didn't have to face her. He wasn't a monster. He knew he wasn't and he wouldn't ever hurt her, he knew that too, but did she think that he was? Did she think...

"They want to start looking through cars. Might find something useful."

Her voice didn't sound accusing. Maybe a little unsure, but not accusing, so he turned around, his hand gripping the strap to his bow so hard that had his nails not been chewed off he would have punctured the leather.

Her eyes were clear, bright, reflecting the sun. There were spots of color high on her cheeks and her hands fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, but she didn't look at him like she was scared and she didn't seem to want to run for the hills. This was good. This was a good thing because she needed to know that it wasn't only the wine. It hadn't just been that. The wine had only given him the courage to act. Well, the wine had caused him to act an ass, but it had still given him the courage to go to her.

Since the moment he had seen her for the first time he had felt some sort of pull. He had felt something familiar in her gaze, had felt a connection to her and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. Not once had he been able to get her out of his mind.

"Shouldn't you go lookin' then?" he asked, unable to think of anything else to say to her. Knowing he should. There was a lot that needed to be said but there was no way he could say them. Not now. Maybe never.

She looked down, nodding slightly. "I just thought I'd let you know what they wanted to do."

She took off before he had time to say anything else and it was just as well because, Lord help him, he seemed to do nothing but fuck up when he spoke to her.

He wasn't sure what he was suppose to be looking for but he started looking anyway. He would know if something was useful if he found it so he started his search. Other than glancing to make sure no walkers were heading his way, he kept his head down and minded his own damn business. He should have known that he would find himself close to her, even if being close to her hadn't been his plan. He walked past her as she went through the trunk of one of the cars with Lori, glancing over to make sure she was alright, which made no sense because it wasn't like the place was very dangerous at the moment.

He decided that since the women were rummaging through the trunk he may as well go through the back of the same car. Save time. That was the only reason.

The back of the car was empty and the front didn't look any better so he was about to move on when he glanced back, just to see if they were done with the trunk. Carol was holding up a red dress a small smile on her face as her hand ran over the material. He couldn't help but smile a little, just because he hadn't ever seen her really take interest in anything like that. When her quiet voice mentioned her dead husband not allowing her to wear anything like that, his smile froze and then melted, more guilt filling him.

The next thing that met his ears was Lori's stinging remark over Carol's interest in the dress. Instantly she pulled the dress away, looking embarrassed at herself and clearly wishing she had never committed what Lori obviously viewed as a tasteless crime. There was something about the look on Carol's face that had his temper flaring and before he even knew what he was doing his feet were carrying him to the back of the car.

"What the hell is your problem?" he snapped, his eyes narrowed to slits as he glowered at Lori.

Her lips thinned in a disapproving line. "Excuse me?" It was a look she had reserved for Merle and him from the get go.

"You wanna tell me why you're actin' like you're standin' on some kind of moral high ground? It's a goddamn dress for fucks sake. If she wants it, there ain't nothin' wrong with that." He shook his head, his brows going up as his voice dropped. "What, you think her takin' a dead woman's dress makes her worse than a person that'd get plowed by her husband's partner before she even knows if his body is cold?"

Lori paled, her dark eyes flitting around to make sure no one else had heard him. Instead of replying to him she looked at Carol, opening her mouth to say something but as far as he was concerned, she'd said enough.

"Nah, you said your peace. She put it back, now leave her the hell alone. Go try to make somebody else feel like shit just so you can get your kicks."

Lori did just that, throwing him a look that told him that she wished he'd taken a seat of his own at the CDC but he didn't care. He didn't like the woman. He'd walked up on her with her naked bony ass in the air several times, Shane sweating like a boar behind her. He wasn't fond of either of them.

He finally glanced at Carol but she was still looking down, her body tense and he realized that his outburst had probably reminded her of something Ed would have done. He was starting to think that he wasn't going to be able to win with this woman, and for some reason, this fact bothered the hell out of him. Maybe he should have minded his own business but he hadn't been able to do that. Maybe he wasn't anything like Ed but he did have a temper and Lori really didn't have any business passing any kind of judgment on anybody else. She was the worst kind of woman in his opinion.

"I better go check up on Sophia," Carol said, her eyes never raising to meet his. He didn't blame her. Her body was still tense as she headed away and he felt his shoulders slump. He definitely should have handled that better. He glanced down into the trunk before moving on to another vehicle and spotted the garment that had caused the whole stink.

He looked around, making sure no one was watching and then he grabbed the dress and shoved it into his pack. He couldn't explain, not even to himself, why he cared so goddamn much. It wasn't because of what had happened the night before. No, because he had been feeling this way since meeting her. It was one of the reasons he hadn't given in and let his brother rob the group blind yet. It was one of the reasons he went on so many hunts. He hadn't wanted to see her, knowing what was happening to her, and not being able to do anything about it.

But there was really no way to avoid her now. He couldn't just take off into the woods to get away from her and the weird fucking feelings she evoked in him because he didn't trust that the group wouldn't pull up stakes and take off without him. And even though he wanted to run from feelings that he didn't understand, he sure as hell wasn't willing to stay away forever.

~H~

Carol ran her fingers through her daughter's hair, smoothing it down as best she could. They had gone through the cars while the others worked on fixing the RV and Shane had even discovered a truck filled with fresh drinking water. They had found some essentials also, tools and weapons, basic medical supplies and clothes.

Her face flushed when she remembered the look on Lori's face when she had held up that stupid dress. She hadn't even considered it at the time but Lori had a point. It wasn't like they were browsing at a rummage sale. They were going through the belongings of people that had been killed and she shouldn't have looked at it any other way.

And then of course, Daryl Dixon had made his presence known and even the thought of him had her face flaming red. Everything that had happened since they had fled the CDC had kept her mind preoccupied but now that everything had settled down a bit, she had time to think about what they had done and she was embarrassed. She hadn't had an excuse because she hadn't been drunk. She had barely had any wine at all but she had been more than willing to have sex with him. She had no idea what had gotten into her.

She had actually been looking for a book to settle down with when he had found her. She had been watching him the whole night, marveling at how boisterous he became the more wine he consumed. He had been quiet, stoic, ever since finding out his brother had been left in Atlanta and seeing him cut loose a little bit had been nice.

She had been walking back to her room, book in hand, when he had nearly stumbled into her when she rounded the corner. He had quickly steadied her, apologizing even though she hadn't been paying much attention herself, but when he didn't drop his hands from her waist her heart had nearly lurched out of her chest.

Fear was her first reaction. She knew he had a temper. It hadn't been long since she had seen him throw dead squirrels at someone, but the fear abated when she finally looked up and met his stare. It wasn't anger brewing behind his eyes at all, but what she did see threw her for a loop. It was lust. And she was just Carol. There wasn't anything worth lusting after. But he had pulled her body a little closer to his, nervously licking his lips, his eyes imploring.

She had known right then what he wanted. She also knew that he wouldn't take it unless she offered it willingly, so she had grabbed his hand, hoped that she was reading him right, and lead him to a storage room a little further down the hall. She found a suitable corner and when she had turned he was all over her.

His hands, rough and clumsy but determined tore at the robe she had found just as his mouth had crashed into hers. She had relented, kissing him back but she was so out of practice and still more than a little shocked. She was sure she had bit his lip but he hadn't minded much. Ever since him and his brother had come to their camp she had been drawn to him for some reason. Reasons that she still couldn't explain, so she justified her actions in her mind, telling herself that he must have felt the same way. Never before had she been so willing to give herself up to a man but that was exactly all she had done.

He sure hadn't wasted any time getting her out of her clothes and somehow they had ended up on the cold floor of the room. He hadn't been rough with her, which she was grateful, but for a man that paid such close attention to detail, he hadn't been very efficient either. He hadn't even bothered taking his shirt off, just tearing his belt open and moving enough to free himself from the confines of his pants. That was when she had frozen up and he hadn't even noticed.

It would have been good, she supposed, if he hadn't been so drunk and eager but her nerves had kicked up, old insecurities rushing to the surface of her mind and there was no way she could have relaxed and just enjoyed the moment for what it was. What if Ed had been right? What if she was no good at this? What if he got angry at her? So, instead of enjoying the moment for what it was, she had let her fears keep her from even trying.

She hated that too because she knew that he woke up regretting it, knew that he could barely even look at her now, knew that he wished he had ran into someone else in that damn hallway.

"Hey."

She stiffened and then looked up at the sound of his voice and for a brief moment his gaze held hers but all too soon flicked away towards the trees.

"Figured I'd let you know I was gonna hunt. They found enough food for a decent meal when they looked through the cars but if I can add to it then it'll help." He adjusted the bow on his back. "You think you can keep'em from pulling up stakes and headin' out without me?"

"That's probably a good idea. Be careful out there," she said, hoping he would listen because she needed him to come back. "And they wouldn't do that." Did he really think they would just leave him? "They all know that no one can provide for this group the way you can."

His face flushed and he looked away, like her words had brought him up short but he finally nodded. When Sophia spoke up it surprised them both.

"Can I go?" the girl asked, taking a tentative step away from Carol.

Daryl's brows furrowed for a few seconds as he stared at Sophia but then his face smoothed. "I don't think your mom wants you traipsin' through the woods with them things wonderin' around."

Sophia looked up at her from over her shoulder. "Mom? Maybe he can show me how to catch food too. He's the only one out of all of us that knows how."

"Sophia maybe you should-"

"She's got a point," he said suddenly, finally holding her gaze.

"What?" Carol asked, shocked.

He shrugged. "The girl's soft, scared of everything, and that's gonna get her hurt eventually. If she's got the spine to wanna learn then who the hell are you to tell her no?"

"I'm her mother. Telling her no is something I'm actually quite good at," she said, her chest tightening at the thought of her little girl out there with only one person to protect her.

"You're her mom," he agreed, "So you already know that she needs to toughen up. She knows it."

Carol felt a bead of sweat slide between her shoulder blades and a sick feeling caused her stomach to roll at the thought of her daughter being away from her. But he had a point. If anyone of them could show the little girl anything that could save her, it would be him. Ans didn't the girl deserve that? What he was offering to do could eventually save Sophia's life. "Are you sure?"

He nodded swiftly.

"Please don't let anything happen to her," she said, swallowing hard and seriously thinking about changing her mind.

To her surprise the corner of his mouth came up. "Trust me, I won't." He looked down at Sophia, who looked as nervous as Carol felt. "You got a weapon?"

Sophia shook her head, her eyes wide as she watched him.

He bent down, pulling up one pant leg and removing a long blade from inside his boot. Without a word he clipped the sheathe onto Sophia's pocket and then took a step back, tilting his head to the side and regarding the girl critically. "That'll do for now."

Sophia ran her hand over the warn leather before looking up at Carol. The decision to let her go was easier when Carol saw the look in her daughter's eyes. For the first time in a long time she saw something that she never thought she would. In that wide eyed gaze that she adored so much, she saw something new. She saw hope.

"I won't let anything happen to her, alright?"

She looked up, saw the sincerity in his eyes and knew that he meant what he said. She nodded then. "I trust you."

Another beat passed before he looked away. He looked a little surprised at her words. Without a backward glance the two of them headed for the trees, leaving Carol standing by the guard rail watching.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm glad you guys are enjoying this so far. Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter Two**

Carol clutched the small cross that hung from the thin chain around her neck, rubbing the smooth gold, trying to calm her frayed nerves. She wished she didn't regret letting Sophia go out there but she couldn't help it. It was close to dark and she knew how dangerous the world could be in the dark even before the dead started walking. She had told Daryl that she trusted him and she meant it, she trusted him more than she had any right to, but trust or no trust, anything could happen out there. The herd that had stumbled through earlier had seemed to follow the road but any number of them could have taken to the trees without her noticing. Daryl was strong, but he was just one man.

Her eyes scanned the tree line, moving back and forth, looking for any sign of movement as she viciously wished she had told her daughter that she couldn't go. If she wasn't back soon she was going to ask Rick, or maybe Shane, if they would go out there to look for them, even though she knew it would be a waste of time to do so. They weren't trackers like Daryl. They didn't know the woods like he knew them but simply standing here waiting was driving her to near panic.

Then again, maybe if Sophia hadn't gone with him, something could have happened when those walkers showed up out of nowhere. It was a miracle that none of them had been killed. Maybe sending her into the woods with Daryl had saved her life.

She saw movement from the corner of her eye and turned her head so sharply that she winced at the pain in her neck. There, walking near the center of the road, was Daryl and Sophia. She took in a shuddering breath and nearly broke into a sprint to get to them but she remained calm, walking towards them like she hadn't been standing for hours looking at the damn woods and praying they would come out.

Upon closer inspection she was surprised at her daughter's bedraggled appearance. The knees of her jeans were ripped and Carol was sure she had skinned them, there was a tear in her shirt, her hair was full of burrs, face smeared with dirt and what looked like blood, but all of this was set firmly on the back burner in Carol's mind when she saw the smile on the girl's face, the light in her eyes and then, the girl unceremoniously held up a dead thing just as Carol halted a few feet away.

"I killed this," the girl beamed.

Carol made a face and then tore her eyes away from the unexpected look on Sophia's face to see Daryl studying her carefully.

Carol looked down, unable to hide the surprise on her face. "You killed that?" she asked, impressed.

Sophia nodded. "Come right out of nowhere and so I... well, I got scared and I kicked it."

"What is it?" Carol asked, almost sure that she didn't want to know.

"It's a rat," Sophia said, glancing at it. "Daryl said he'd cook it up and I could eat it if I wanted, that that's what I was suppose to do, but I'm not sure about it. It's my first kill hunting but it doesn't make a whole lot of since to take credit when all I used was my sneaker."

Daryl ducked his head, apparently not wanting either of them to see the grin on his face but it hadn't gone unnoticed. "If we were real hard up I'd say eat it, but you can toss it if you want."

Sophia held up the dead rodent, scrunched up her nose and then tossed it over the guard rail.

"Did you manage to catch anything else?" Carol asked as she fell in step with the two of them.

Daryl shook his head, glancing down at the girl. "She's gotta work on her stealth a little bit. Scared everything away."

Carol realized then that he probably hadn't had any intentions of hunting anything anyway. He had probably just wanted to get away from the rest of them, but taking Sophia with him had been a nice gesture. "How on earth did you manage to find a rat?"

Before he could answer Sophia looked up. "We found an old house not too far from here. There wasn't a whole lot inside but we checked it out anyhow. It came outta nowhere, ran right at me and I freaked out and kicked it."

Carol's head jerked up, her eyes widening at the possibility of getting off of the road and into an actual house. Their dreams of staying at the CDC had been shattered but that didn't mean they had to stay out on the road and the last time she had checked, the RV was nearly ready to hit the road again, but night was fast approaching and they couldn't all fit.

As if he could read her mind he squinted towards the others. "It probably ain't the safest place to hole up. There's windows, easy access for anything that wants to get inside, but I figure somebody should mention it to them. It would beat the hell outta sleepin' out here on the road."

"And by someone you mean me?" she asked with a small smile.

His eyes flitted to hers and then away. "They'd likely listen to you before they would me."

This bothered her. She knew that he was right and she hated it. Why the others didn't see this man's value was something that she would never understand, because he was a good man and he did a lot for the group and it always went unnoticed. The worst part was, he was guilty of the same thing. He didn't consider himself a valuable member of the group and would never admit that he was an asset.

"Sophia, why don't you go get cleaned up, okay. I found a few things and laid them out for you in the RV. You're a mess," she said, giving her daughter a small push towards the others. She noticed that Sophia's hand kept going to the knife that was still attached to her hip.

"Thank you for taking her," she said quietly, knowing that he would brush off her appreciation.

He shrugged lightly. "Ain't nothin' to teach a kid a few tricks. She's smart and she listens. Maybe that'll help keep her alive."

Carol swallowed hard. "We had visitors while the two of you were out on your hunt. A whole herd of walkers appeared out of nowhere."

He looked over sharply, his gaze intense as he seemed to check her over for injury, his body tense.

"No one was hurt," she added quickly, her throat constricting painfully at his reaction. If she didn't know any better, she'd have sworn he'd been afraid she'd been hurt.

He finally nodded stiffly and fell back into step beside her, walking much closer than he had before learning about the walkers.

~H~

Someone had to keep watch since the place wasn't very secure and Daryl volunteered the first round so the rest of them could settle in for the night. In a few hours he would rouse one of the others and then he'd find himself a corner to curl up in.

The house wasn't much but it had been abandoned since long before the turn. At least there were a few sturdy pieces of furniture, beds and it had a roof. That was as much as they could hope for in their current situation. He had overheard Rick talking to Carol about the girl staying in their room with him and Lori. The man was efficient, if not a little blind to what kind of woman he had married, so Carol had been grateful that the kid would be bunking with the Grimes clan. Rick also kept a hell of a gun on him so Daryl felt a little better about it too, which he wasn't even sure why. The kid was nothing to him, really. Well, that's what he kept telling himself anyway. The truth was, he saw a whole lot of himself in the girl. Or who he had been at that age.

A scared little kid, confused, unsure why things had to be the way they were. Always fearful, never knowing when the hammer would fall. And that was her life before this nightmare.

He'd also meant what he said to Carol. She was a smart girl and she paid attention to everything he had shown her out there in the woods, even though he knew that she wasn't exactly comfortable out there. Of course, he hadn't gotten any game but he hadn't expected to actually hunt after he had agreed to take her along. After checking out the property he had instructed her to find their tracks and, to his surprise, she did so quickly. She had lead them back to the road, only going off course a few times. He had been impressed and when he had told her as much, she had seemed surprised and then embarrassed at the praise, but happy to hear it.

But at least now he knew if something happened and they all got split up, she would have a chance of finding her way back to the group. It made him feel useful anyway and Carol had seemed to appreciate the effort. That was always a plus.

He was still unsure how she felt about what had happened between them. He still felt like a fucking chump, but there wasn't anything he could do about it now. It was done and over with and it was likely something that he would just have to put behind him because he wasn't going to approach her again and he knew that if she hadn't brought it up by now, she wouldn't. At least she didn't seem to hate him for what he had done, or thought that he had pressured her into it or forced himself on her. He had been worried about that but then she had said something before him and Sophia had gone into the woods that had chased away that particular fear.

She trusted him.

That may not have been a very big deal to most people, but he wasn't most people and the thought of her trusting him with the one thing that she loved the most in the whole goddamn world made him feel good about himself. That wasn't a feeling he was used to, but he wouldn't mind getting used to it. It was nice to have someone look at him and see someone that was more than the little brother to a mean tempered criminal. And that's all he'd ever been. Merle Dixon's lacky. Not that he didn't love his brother, because he did, with everything in him, but it seemed like, without Merle constantly whispering in his ear, he was becoming more his own man.

He shook his head, snorting at the thought.

Movement in his peripherals caught his attention and in a matter of seconds the bow was raised, his finger poised over the trigger and he found himself staring into a set of wide startled eyes.

"Jesus, fuck, woman!" he hissed, lowering the bow. "Don't sneak up on somebody that can put a damn bolt through your skull!" He regretted his tone the moment he saw her flinch, her body tensing as though bracing for something unpleasant.

She cleared her throat as he lowered the bow, his hands almost shaking from the close call. "Sorry. You didn't eat," she said, like that was a perfectly acceptable excuse to sneak up on him and nearly get herself killed. To hell with safety if there's a chance Dixon's stomach might be empty. Jesus!

His eyes scanned the darkness, his ears straining to hear the crunch of feet plowing through the dry overgrown lawn. He almost told her that he didn't need her coddling him and he would eat when he was ready to eat but he bit back the words, reminding himself that she wasn't here to coddle him at all and that she was probably the only person here that gave his ass a second thought. Just then his stomach, which had indeed been empty since the day before, decided to rumble at the prospect of food.

She smiled slightly and he flushed but knew she couldn't see it in the dark. "I found this in a box in one of the cars and thought of you. I guess I stole it but it isn't like there was enough to feed all of us anyway." She help up a large bowl, brimming with something that he couldn't make out. Steam curled up from the bowl and the smell had his stomach snarling and his mouth watering.

"What is it?" he asked, taking the offer.

She let out a nervous little laugh. "Just some Denty Moore. But I figured you'd appreciate the stew a lot more than the soup the rest of them dined on." Her shoulder went up in a light shrug. "Besides, you do more than your share for everyone. You earned it."

He leaned his back against the tree and spooned in a mouthful, groaning as he chewed. "I don't remember canned stew tastin' this damn good," he muttered, still chewing.

"Then I'm glad I resorted to being a criminal so you could enjoy a meal that you didn't have to go hunt for." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked up, her eyes scanning the ocean of stars above them. Without any artificial ambiance the sky looked like something you would find on another planet.

She didn't make a move to leave him to his meal but she didn't say anything else either. He wasn't sure what to do so he continued stuffing his face but then realized that just maybe, she hadn't gotten a good share of dinner herself.

"You eat anything?" he asked, his brows pulling together in a frown.

She smiled and shrugged. "I had enough. Sophia was still hungry after she finished hers so I gave her half of my share, but it did the trick."

He dropped the spoon into the bowl and shoved it towards her. "Here," he said, wishing he'd been in there earlier because he knew that she had been left with the damn scraps.

She shook her head. "Really, I had enough."

"Eat some of it or I'll dump it out and we'll both starve."

She frowned but took the offered bowl. "You're bossy," she muttered but she took a few bites herself and then handed it back.

They passed the bowl back and forth after that, neither of them saying anything. She studied the sky and he studied the darkness beyond their own little area. The silence wasn't heavy but it still made him fidgety. He saved her the last bite and when he passed the bowl over he remembered something.

"When me and the kid were here earlier she mentioned you liked to read." He reached into his back pocket where he'd shoved an old yellowed paperback that he had found in one of the upstairs bedrooms. He handed it over.

She took the book and then smiled, her eyes lighting up and catching the moonlight. "Thank you."

He shrugged.

"I was meaning to get some reading in while we were at the CDC but I didn't get a chance..." her voice trailed off and a memory flitted through his mind. She had dropped a book when he'd ran into her in the hallway. So, he was the reason that she hadn't had a chance to read.

His face grew hot and he knew that she was flushing too, even though he couldn't really see it. Now that it was right there, almost out in the open, he thought that now would be a good time to say something but he had no idea how to go about it. He was still worried that she'd felt somehow threatened into doing it and he hated the thought of never knowing if that was true.

"Yeah, about that..." he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

She looked up, meeting his eyes briefly before she looked away. She looked troubled and he knew then that he really had made a mistake.

"I..." God he didn't know what the fuck to say.

She offered him a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. "It's okay, Daryl. I know what it was and if you're afraid I'll start bothering you or expect anything to come of it, you don't have to be. You were drunk and I just happened to be the person you ran into, that's all. Not exactly your lucky night." She forced a self deprecating laugh. "You're completely off the hook."

She thought he regretted it. Which, she was right, of course, but she seemed to think he regretted it for all the wrong reasons. She thought he had just happened upon her by chance and had, at the spur of the moment, decided to have sex with her.

"I guess I should leave you alone, go and try to get some sleep," she said quietly as she took a step back, looking very much like a woman that wanted to escape her embarrassment.

He didn't know what else to say. Well, he did, but he couldn't find the words. With one more lingering smile she turned. By the time she had taken five steps he knew that he had to say something now or things between them would only get worse. And he couldn't stand the thought of her walking away feeling so bad about herself.

"Hey," he called, keeping his voice from carrying further than it had to.

She halted, her back ramrod straight, but she didn't turn.

"I was..." Goddamn it Daryl, just spit it out.

She glanced over her shoulder, her expression questioning.

"I was lookin' for you," he said, glad to be rid of the words once they were finally out and hating that this was so goddamn hard for him. It shouldn't have been. He should have been able to tell her everything but life hadn't prepared him for situations like this. It hadn't prepared him for feelings like this and he didn't know how to deal with all of them. If Merle was around he would have choked them all down, ignored them like he had back at camp, but Merle wasn't here and he was on his own and-

"What?" she asked, turning so she was facing him again.

He leaned further into the tree, somehow taking solace in the shadows there. "You. I wasn't just wonderin' around. I was lookin' for you."

"Me?"

He nodded, realized too late that he was in the deeper shadows and she wouldn't be able to see him so he cleared his throat. "Yeah."

"Why?" she asked, perplexed.

Surely she wasn't that clueless. Surely she didn't need him to spell it out for her. "Cause... I don't know. I just was. And I don't want you thinkin' that you had to." God this was so fucking horrible. "I just... I wouldn't have gotten mad if you'd have said no."

She stared in his direction for a few long moments and then finally she seemed to find her voice. "For what it's worth, I never would have said no. That's the last thing you had to worry about. I guess sometimes we all have itches that need scratched." She smiled slightly, almost sadly, and turned, walking back towards the house.

She still didn't understand and he still didn't know how to tell her. But he knew that he had to try. At least now he knew that there was something there. She assured him that she wouldn't have turned him down and that had to count for something.

"Fuck," he mumbled, pushing away from the tree and starting another round of the property. Words weren't his strong suit, even though he knew someday he'd be able to spit them out. What he could do until then was show her that it was more than that. She hadn't just been there to scratch an itch. Hell, if that had been the case he could have scratched it himself. It would have been a hell of a lot less complicating.

He had a lot on his plate with this woman. But eventually, he knew, it would be worth it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry I didn't get a chance to update yesterday. Hope you all enjoy this chapter and thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter Three**

Apparently Rick and Shane were having a hard time agreeing on where the group should head to next, even though it had been three days since Daryl and Sophia had stumbled onto the old abandoned house. It was getting to everyone, the tension that seemed to ooze from the two men, but none of it was Daryl's concern so he kept his mouth shut.

He had other issues to deal with. Issues that very much _were_ his concern. He stared up at the water stained ceiling and listened to the silence that filled the early morning. It seemed like the only time of day that there was any sort of silence at all. Movement across the room had him looking over just as Carol sat up, rubbing a hand over her face.

The two of them had shared a room with T-dog and Sophia. The girl slept next to her mom at the back and Daryl posted himself near the door in case something got past the person on watch and made it into the house. His gaze flicked to the corner of the room where T-dog should have been but the man must had headed out earlier to take watch.

The two of them hadn't talked about what had happened since that first night they had stayed and he wasn't sure if they ever would. Things like that didn't come easy to him because he'd never been in this situation. Never really bothered to fucking care about someone so much before. And it wasn't like he'd meant to. He didn't like the headache that came with caring, but it wasn't something he could just shut off and ignore. Maybe before, but not after what had happened.

The room was far to dim for her to really see him so she probably thought that he was sleeping, but he was wide awake now and could feel her eyes on him. Again, he wondered what the hell she was thinking as she stared in his direction but of course he didn't ask and he didn't do anything to let her know he was awake. So, she sighed heavily and slowly slid out from under the blankets she shared with her daughter. When she stood up she stretched and then her hand came up, rubbing at her shoulder. She went to the small window and gazed out, her back to him now as her hand still tried to rub away the ache in her muscle. He knew how she felt because sleeping on the cold floor was taking a toll on him too, but it beat sleeping in the dirt out there somewhere so no one dared say anything about it. Even though he wanted to let Rick and Lori know that it would have been a lot more fair if they took turns with the damn bed that they had claimed for themselves. He couldn't help but wonder how Shane felt about that situation.

He finally shoved the thin blanket away and climbed to his feet just as she turned around. For a few beats her eyes locked onto his.

"Morning," she whispered before turning back to the window.

"Nothin' gets past you," he muttered before shoving his feet into his boots.

He was rewarded with a backwards glance and a flash of a genuine smile. His lips twitched into a small smile of his own. He was trying to be nicer and sometimes it came easy but other times he had to work at it. Either way she seemed to sense that he was at least trying and that helped. Less pressure on his part.

~H~

She hadn't expected him to still be in the room this morning but she wasn't exactly surprised at his presence. She had to admit that it was nice, having him so close most of the time. The feeling of security was something most people took for granted but she wasn't one of those people. She'd spent the better part of her life knowing she wasn't safe and knowing that when it was all said and done, her daughter wasn't safe either. But since getting here, that's exactly how she felt and it was all because of him.

"How'd you sleep?"

The sound of his hushed voice was much closer and she rolled her eyes as her heart picked up a little bit. It was completely ridiculous to feel like this but it was there all the same, and she was powerless to do a thing about it. "As good as can be expected, I guess," she said without turning.

"Hurt?"

She glanced over her shoulder again and realized that she was still absently rubbing at her shoulder. She shrugged lightly. "It bothers me sometimes. Last year I... I fell down the stairs. Tore some muscles in there..." she couldn't believe she had just said that. Fell down the stairs? Why would she bother lying? She hadn't fallen down the damn stairs!

His eyes hardened and then narrowed as a muscle in his jaw worked. He kept his eyes on her shoulder and she was glad because she didn't want him to read the embarrassment on her face. He took in a slow breath and his features smoothed out but that dangerous glint was still in his eyes. "Guess it's a good thing we're stuck here and I can at least try to keep your clumsy ass from takin' anymore nose dives, huh?"

She read the real meaning in his words easily and her throat tightened with emotion that she couldn't even identify. He knew she hadn't fallen, knew that it was another injury she'd acquired at the hands of her husband. It was his way of saying he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Wording it any other way would have been too hard for him. When his eyes finally raised up, meeting hers she smiled.

"Here," he mumbled, his voice gruff as he pushed her hand away. Without another word he started working at the sore muscles and she had to stifle a groan. His hands were strong and somehow he knew exactly where to put them. It was unexpected but very welcome.

She could feel the heat from his body, so close but not quite touching her and she had the overwhelming urge to lean into that warmth. Wanted desperately to feel his arms around her, to feel safe. It wasn't lust. That had nothing to do with these sudden and overwhelming wants. It was the need to feel another person. She wasn't accustomed to affection, at least not from a man and knew that he was the last person in the world that would probably be willing to offer it freely. But it didn't change those powerful urges. The world was a lot colder now and she just wanted to feel... something good.

"Are you taking Sophia out today?" she whispered as he moved a little lower. Her voice shook slightly and she wasn't even sure why.

The pressure of his hands softened. "Yeah," he said and there was something in his own voice that had her wondering what he was thinking at the moment.

"Have I thanked you for that? For working so hard with her?" she asked.

He was silent for a few beats but he finally answered her. "A few times."

She nodded and closed her eyes, fighting that urge to lean into him with everything in her. "Well, I'll just keep doing it, okay?"

"Are you okay?" he asked, sounding more perplexed than concerned and then suddenly his hands fell away, like maybe he thought she didn't really want him touching her.

She turned then and his proximity brought her up short. "We don't really have the luxury to not be okay, right?" she asked.

He shrugged and almost took a step away but she couldn't let him. She quickly stepped into his space and before she lost her nerve or he was able to bolt right out the door she hugged him. His whole body locked up, every muscle seeming to tense and she realized that she had made a grave mistake.

~H~

The embrace was unexpected, and he was so ill equipped to know how to respond, but he still knew the exact moment that she began regretting her decision. He swallowed hard just as she was about to pull away from him and then he moved his hands to her waist and forced himself to just be still. How fucked up was he? Why was it okay for him to rip her clothes off and fuck her on a storage room floor but a simple hug had him freezing up? Really, when was the last time he felt this? A person just wanting, for whatever reason, to be closer to him? And why did it make him feel so... exposed? Naked. Almost terrified?

She made a move like she was about to step away so he tightened his hold on her and then, reluctantly, his arms slid around her. His heart thundered in his chest and he half expected her to come to her senses and pull away, realize that whatever she wanted wasn't something he could give her. He had built walls around his heart a long time ago and he didn't want to watch them crumble now; didn't want to give anyone, not even her, the power to cause any more damage to his already threadbare sense of self worth. He needed to protect himself from that.

Really, what was the point of this anyway?

He already knew the answer to that but tried to shove it to the back of his mind. The point was, there was no point. It just felt good. It felt good knowing that someone was simply there, and willing to show him that they cared. Suddenly, with such a simple gesture on her part, he didn't feel as cold anymore, or as alone as he had only moments before. Such a simple thing, such a small thing, had the power to shake him up like nothing had in a long time. Maybe ever.

He finally let it go, the reluctance, and let himself feel the warmth of her body against his, willed his own heart to stop beating a bruise against his ribs, and he realized then that hers was chasing his, thundering hard, like maybe this was just as hard for her. He would have laughed because this was pretty damn ridiculous. They were both grown adults but had to tread water, had to feel their way around situations that came so goddamn infuriatingly easily to everyone else.

Her face was tucked into the crook of his neck and he was surprised to feel the warmth of her breath on his skin when she let a breathy little laugh escape her. "Sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" he asked, knowing he sounded guarded as hell but not caring.

"For ambushing you. It's been a strange couple of days," she said.

He snorted and relaxed a little more but neither one of them tried to pull away and he found himself wondering how the hell he'd gotten himself in this situation. Once he could finally feel anything other than the shock and uncertainty, this was actually a damn good feeling. She needed it, just to feel the closeness of another person, and he was the one providing that and as strange and different as that was, it was still a good thing. And maybe, though he was reluctant to admit it, he needed that closeness too. Maybe it was high time that he finally let somebody in.

"Are you two gonna kiss or what?"

They both jumped at the unexpected sound of Sophia's voice. He'd forgotten the girl had been sleeping just a few feet away. He dropped his arms to his sides and took a good three steps back as his ears started burning. Carol looked as startled as he felt, her wide eyes meeting his for a second before flashing to the corner of the room where Sophia was sitting up, rubbing her eyes and grinning like some kind of asshole.

"Well?" she pressed, raising her brows, her wide eyes innocently glancing between the two of them.

"Of course not," Carol mumbled, clearing her throat.

"Why not?" the girl asked.

Daryl glared at her but she ignored the look.

"Because we're friends and friends don't go around kissing one another," Carol said, grabbing Sophia's hand and pulling her up from the floor. "Let's go find some breakfast."

Sophia glanced up at him as she stepped past and he'd be damned if the skinny little shit didn't look smug. He thought about kicking her right in the ass but he refrained. He was an adult. He'd wait till he had her out tracking and he'd trip her or something. She was old enough to learn the lesson of payback being a bitch.

"Sorry," Carol muttered on her way past, looking worried.

"Should be," he grumbled as he stepped out the door, not wanting her to regret something that had been... nice.

She glanced back at him.

"Don't think for a damn minute that I'm gonna fall prey to all that mushy shit, woman. It ain't happenin'." He stepped past her but was rewarded with the sound of her laughter.

"Duly noted," she said lightly.

Sophia looked up at him again as he slid past her in the narrow hall. "Looked to me like you liked it."

"Looks to me like you aught to shut up and mind your damn business."

The girl grinned up at him and he found himself flashing her smile of his own before giving her a small shove into to the wall on his way past.


	4. Chapter 4

**Two more chapters after this one! Hope you all enjoy your Friday the 13th and thanks for reading!**

 **I posted this a few minutes ago and messed up. It said it was chapter 3 but I fixed it. Sorry for any confusion. lol**

 **Chapter Four**

When Daryl came to he had no recollection of what had happened or where he was at. All that registered in his mind was pain. His head was killing him and his side was aching like mad and when he cracked open one eye the light was blinding, making the headache worse.

He tried to remember what the hell had happened and bits and pieces, all disjointed and senseless floated through his mind. He tried to relax, tried to focus.

They had been staying in the abandoned house for a little over a week. He had been out because they were running out of food and he wanted to find something before they finally left the old farmhouse to find something more permanent. He remembered Sophia asking to come with him but he'd told her no, knowing she wasn't ready, knowing she would likely scare any animals away. He remembered she hadn't argued, which hadn't been surprising at the time because that just wasn't her.

He groaned and tried to sit up, knowing that if he stayed still he would fall asleep and he didn't want to sleep, he wanted to remember. He needed to remember...

"Take it easy, son," an unfamiliar voice advised.

He heeded the advice but only because the flare of pain in his side nearly had him passing out. He did force his eyes open, though, since he had no idea who the hell had just spoken to him. His vision blurred but finally focused and he found himself staring up at the face of an old man he had never seen before.

"Where the hell am I?" He asked, meaning to sound menacing but his voice was low, his throat dry.

The old man smiled slightly. "I'm Hershel Greene and you had yourself a pretty bad accident. Your friends found you and happened to luck up and run into my daughter after they dragged you out of a ravine. Do you remember anything?"

He stared up at the ceiling, wracking his brain, and finally pieces started sliding into place. "Snake," he mumbled.

"What was that?" the old man asked, leaning closer.

"I was huntin'. Had my sites on a buck and I wasn't payin' much attention to anything else. I looked down and there was a damn snake and it struck at me, hit my boot. I jumped back, lost my footing and that's all I can remember."

The old man nodded. "You took a tumble down a pretty steep ravine, banged yourself up real good and shot yourself in the side with your crossbow. I'd say if you'd been alone, you woulda died out there."

Daryl frowned. "I was alone." Hadn't he been alone?

Hershel shook his head. "There was a little girl with you. She couldn't get to you so she ran for help but from the area your friends described I really can't believe she found her way back to your group. Anyway, they got you out, made it all the way to the field that cut between the house you all were staying and the woods and that's when my Maggie found your group and brought you here to me."

Girl. There had been a girl with him? He realized then what must have happened and he grit his teeth through the pain as he sat up, his heart slamming hard in his chest and sending white hot pain through his head. "Where is she?" he snapped.

"The woman?" Hershel asked. "I suppose she'll be back any second now. She went to grab some water. She's barely left the room since they brought you in this morning."

"The girl, damn it. She's okay?" he asked, glaring at the idiot old man. He was glad to hear that Carol had stuck by him through the ordeal, if that was the woman the old man was talking about, but if Sophia had been out there alone, anything could have happened.

"She's fine, considering," Hershel said patiently.

"Considering what?" Jesus, if something happened to her then it was his damn fault!

"She was shaken up, thought you had died when you fell, but she's had time to accept the fact that you were banged up pretty good, but you would pull through. You just need to take it easy for a few days."

The relief was so great that it almost seemed to ease some of the pain in his head. He looked past the old man, towards the open doorway, and met a set of red rimmed eyes. The old man turned, following his gaze and then cleared his throat.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes, but Carol, he needs his rest and frankly, so do you. He has a lot of healing to do and if you keep on running yourself ragged you won't be any help to him," Hershel admonished gently. He gave Daryl one more once over and then slipped out of the room, past Carol.

She stepped in, tried to smile at him but gave up. "How do you feel?" she asked, sitting a tray down on the night table and crossing her arms over her middle like she had to hold herself together physically.

"Feel like a fell ass over teakettle down a ravine and then shot myself with a bolt," he said grimly, watching her. He wasn't sure how to take her at the moment. He sure as hell wasn't used to someone worrying this hard about him, but it was clear she had been. She looked like she was about to drop. Her hands were shaking.

She came a little closer. "When we got there we thought..." her voice trailed off. "It was bad."

"Where's Sophia?" he asked suddenly.

She shook her head and then leaned against a wardrobe that was pushed against the wall near the bed. "Asleep. She's with Rick and Lori. I had no idea she had left. She hasn't ever done anything like that before and after the lecture she had to listen to, not just from me but from the whole group, I doubt she'll do it again." She let out a slow breath and he could see the exhaustion written all over her.

"How the hell did she find her way back to the house?" he asked, wanting to tell her to sit the hell down before she fell over. "I had to have been miles away."

This question brought a little bit of light to her eyes and she smiled slightly. "You."

His brows came down and then he realized that hurt so he let his features smooth back out. "What?"

She nodded. "She said that every time you let her go with you into the woods you weren't teaching her to hunt but to track. She said it was easy to get back once she calmed down and focused on everything you taught her."

He sighed and then stared at the ceiling for a few long moments. "If I'd have known she'd end up pullin' a stunt like that, I never woulda taught her."

"Daryl, as angry as I was at her for doing something so foolish, you would have died out there. You were teaching her ways that she could save herself but she ended up saving you. She keeps saying that she wouldn't have gone but she was afraid something would happen to you out there."

"I've spent my whole life in the damn woods," he muttered.

"And she's spent her whole life missing out on things like this. You may just be showing a little girl some survival skills but to that little girl, you're showing her that she matters and that you care and I know you don't want it, and you never asked for it, but she feels like she needs you. She was afraid something would happen and something did."

He met her eyes and she seemed to be bracing herself for his words but he didn't know what to say to that. He understood her daughter. He knew why she felt the way she did because he'd always longed for the same thing as a kid. Carol expected him to blow up at her words but he couldn't. "You two sure know how to put pressure on a man," he said instead, trying hard to make light of a serious situation.

She nearly sagged with relief and he still couldn't believe how worn down she was just because he'd gotten himself in a bind. She glanced towards the table her eyes widening. "Medicine. I can't believe I forgot." She bustled around the tray and then turned on another lamp, chasing the gloom away, meeting his questioning glance. The light hurt but he didn't comment. "Generator. There's even water here." She held out her hand and he stared at the two pills balanced on her palm.

"Where is here?" he asked. "Last I knew we were livin' in squalor."

Her eyes darkened again and she didn't say anything until he scooted up, propping himself against the headboard and took the pills and water she offered. He thought maybe she would sit down then but she stayed there next to the bed, looking unsure of herself.

"When they got you out of the woods they had to cross the field. We were about halfway between the field and the house when some girl on a horse came out of nowhere. Once she saw you she told us that her father could help. We've been here since last night."

His brows went up. "That explains it," he muttered looking towards the dark windows.

"Explains what?" she asked, obviously shaken by the memory of what had happened.

"Explains why my goddamn bladder is about to burst. I'm drownin' over here."

A surprised laugh bubbled up and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Leave it to you to make light of something like this. You scared me to death," she said, offering him her hand.

He took it, for no other reason than to not hurt her feelings, and swung his legs around. His hand went to his side and the thick bandage covering the wound. "Christ, I did a number on myself." He slowly stood up and she was at his side, her hands fluttering uselessly, wanting to help him but not knowing how.

He grabbed the shirt that was hanging from the bed post and shrugged it on, not bothering with the buttons since his ass was coming right back to bed anyway. "Point the way."

He stared at himself for a few long moments in the bathroom mirror, he had splashed his face with cold water to try to wash the cobwebs away, rinsed his mouth out with some mouthwash he'd found in the cabinet and was now studying the lacerations on the side of his face. Just another couple of scars to add to his arsenal.

He wondered if she was planning on leaving him alone any time soon. The accident had obviously shaken her up and it was a strange feeling, having someone around that cared so much, but there was no other reason for her fussing over him like she was. He wanted to be annoyed. Wanted to be able to go out there and tell her that he was fine and she could go the hell to bed. But he couldn't. It would have been a farce and he knew it. He wanted her around, wanted her to know that he wanted her around. He ran a hand through his hair and dropped his eyes.

Maybe things would be different if he hadn't given into his urges that night. Maybe things would be different if she was someone else. Anyone else. But things had happened, and she was who she was and he was tangled now, trapped, a prisoner to emotions that he didn't know what to do with, wants that he had never dreamed of wanting before, needs that went far beyond physical. She understood him like no one else ever had, accepted him for what he really was and goddamn if that alone didn't make him want to try harder to be a good man. The kind of man that she deserved. With a heavy sigh he opened the bathroom door and stepped out into a dim and empty hallway.

He scoffed at himself at the flash of disappointment he felt. He shouldn't have expected her to be there but it seemed like ever since they had broken down on the road over a week ago, that was how it had been. Quietly... there. Sometimes he lived for those small moments when her hand brushed against his or when she caught his eye from across the room, saying everything without saying a word. What a mess...

He didn't feel right going back to the room, or staying here at all for that matter. He didn't know anything about this house or the people that were in it or if it was really safe. He had no idea where the girl was and he'd taken it upon himself to keep an extra eye on her. All of it made him uneasy and if Carol had stuck around for another few minutes she could have soothed his nerves a little. She was kind of good at that.

He was just too tired to go looking for any of the others and the medication she had given him must have been something good because his mind was starting to fog up and he was getting drowsy. Just as well. He could go back to sleep and get the woman out of his head.

He stepped into the room and shut the door, turning towards the bed. He stopped mid step when he realized he wasn't alone in the room. She was sitting on the edge of the bed with the side of her head leaned against the headboard. Her eyes were closed, her breathing deep and even and if she stayed like that much longer she would end up with a horrible cramp in her neck. But he was relieved to see her.

Darkness pressed against the window and he wondered how late it had gotten while he was knocked out. He almost didn't want to wake her since she seemed so damn exhausted but he couldn't let her sleep that way.

"Hey," he said, keeping his voice low.

She mumbled something, shifted slightly and then her eyes snapped open, regarding him with a confused expression on her face. She stood up, trying to blink the sleep from her eyes. "I can't believe I fell asleep," she muttered, swiping a hand over her face.

He shrugged. "It happens." He eased himself back onto the mattress, moving slowly as he lowered his head back onto the pillows.

"I'll leave as soon as I check those bandages. I told Hershel I would," she searched his face, waiting for him to object but he wasn't going to. He would rather her looking him over than some old man that he didn't even know.

She smiled and sat back down, her hip flush with his as she turned her body towards him. Gently she removed the bandage and he watched her face fall at what she saw. He looked down and grimaced. There was a distinct hole in his side, raw and ugly.

"It went all the way through," she said, her voice almost like a whisper. "There was a lot of blood. A lot."

He looked away from the wound and studied her face. She worried her lip.

"I should probably do the exit wound first. Get it out of the way. It's a little worse," she said nervously.

He tensed at that, his eyes hardening, his jaw clenching tightly. That wasn't something he had considered. As much as he trusted this woman, he couldn't bear the thought of her seeing things she had no fucking business seeing. His nostrils flared in warning and as much as he didn't want to hurt her, he knew his words would if she pushed this.

Holding his gaze she didn't flinch, which surprised him a little. "I can do it, or Hershel can do it. There isn't anything back there that I haven't already seen. I think it was only fair anyway, since I've already shown you mine." Her gaze stayed on his, almost challenging.

He didn't make a move to roll over and give her access to the exit wound she needed to examine.

To his complete surprise her eyes hardened and her own jaw set firmly, her lips thinning into a thin disapproving line. "I thought you were dead. By the time we got there you were nothing but a crumpled heap lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of that ravine, and if that wasn't bad enough, I had to watch two walkers making a beeline for what I thought was your corpse. I know how you feel and trust me, I get it, but I won't let you be a stubborn fool and set up infection and die because of your pride. I lost you out there. In my mind you were gone and something like that, well, it changes a woman. So, you let me check that damn wound or so help me I'll call Shane and Rick in here and make them force you. Your choice."

He would have given her hell but before she was finished with her quiet tangent she was trying hard to blink back tears and he realized then how much she had been through. First her daughter had been missing and then she was hit with what she thought was the realization that he was dead. And he wasn't sure what the hell they were or what they ever would be but he was certain that it ran deep, deep enough to leave scars of their own.

"Guess it's your turn to be fuckin' bossy," he grumbled, forcing back his trepidation of her seeing the scars that littered his back.

She took in a shuddering breath and let it go slowly. "I'm working on it." Her voice was only a whisper now.

He sat up and let her push the shirt away from his shoulders. There wasn't anything erotic about the way she touched him but the moment seemed to charge regardless. He eased back down and then rolled over onto his side. He heard her hiss in a breath and then he felt the sharp sting as she cleaned him up. She was quick and efficient but still tried to make it as painless as possible. Sooner than he thought she would she gave him the okay to roll back over.

She was biting her lip hard, her face even more pale than it was before and there was fine sheen of sweat on her forehead. The wound was either worse than he imagined or she really did care a whole goddamn lot about his well being.

Her hands shook slightly as she went to work on the other one, her eyes never leaving her work. As she cleaned the area her free hand skimmed over his stomach with a feather light touch and though he knew she had meant nothing by it the muscles under her fingers flexed. She grew still and her eyes met his for a few beats before she went back to work.

She didn't look at him again until she was finished, smiling slightly. "That should do it for tonight."

He nodded, watching her carefully. Was she reluctant to go? Because he was reluctant as fuck to see her leave. He was tired, knew he'd be able to sleep, but he didn't want her to leave.

"Hershel, he's a decent man and if I'm not up early enough he'll probably be in to check on you. Something tells me I'm gonna sleep like a rock tonight."

He frowned, glancing at the closed door. "Where you sleepin'?" he asked, wondering if her room was close to his.

She nodded towards the window. "We're camped out right outside. Sophia's with Lori in the RV."

He came up on his elbows then. "Why the hell didn't the old fucker let you all in?"

She shrugged. "Because he has a family of his own and he has no idea who we are. No one really minds."

He nodded and let his back fall back to the mattress. How the hell could he stay up here in a real bed knowing that the rest of them were stuck outside, in just as much danger as they had been in when they had been out on the damn road? At least back at that other dump, they had a roof over them.

"It's fine," she smiled.

"Stay here," he said, not even meaning to say the words out loud.

He wasn't sure what he had expected but he sure as hell didn't expect her to reach over and turn off the lamp. He swallowed hard when she didn't make a move to do anything else. "Are you sure?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He braced himself and then reached for her hand. Slowly she seemed to thaw, moving so she was lying next to him in the dark.

"They're gonna wonder where I am if I'm not out there in the morning," she whispered. "But I was honestly considering camping out in the hall tonight."

He stared up at the ceiling, waiting a few beats as she inched closer. "Yeah, they'll all be wonderin' why you ain't made their breakfast yet. Fuck'em." The pain meds were really kicking in now.

She rolled over until she was facing him and he realized that her hand was still trapped in his own. As his eyes drifted closed he tugged her a little closer and she came willingly, the warmth from her body somehow relaxing him into an even deeper stupor than the drugs. She shifted her grip on his hand until her fingers were threaded through his, her grip tight. "I'm afraid if I go to sleep I'll wake up and realize that you never woke up. That maybe I'm dreaming," she whispered, her voice shaking as badly as her hand was.

He opened his eyes, his brows coming down in a frown. "Trust me, I ain't no dream guy."

A strained laugh escaped her. "This is no time for jokes, Daryl."

"You know, this ain't so bad," he mumbled and then just accepted the fact that his thoughts would likely tumble out of his mouth at this point.

"I guess I'll take that as a compliment," she whispered.

He felt a slow grin blossom on his face. The pain was all but gone. "You aught to."

"Are you high?" she whispered.

He snorted and then rolled over, facing her now. "No."

She edged a little closer and finally he decided that there really wasn't any reason to hold back. He put an arm around her and sighed heavily.

"Would it be distasteful if I said that maybe I like you better after you shoot yourself?" she whispered, sounding so serious that his addled brain had a hard time deciding that she was kidding.

He laughed, probably too loud, but she was funny as fuck at the moment. Whatever she had given him did their job, shutting down the pain and drawing him under quickly. It was a good feeling, but having her there and knowing that for the moment they were safe was what gave him the push he needed to finally succumb to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

It only took him a few days before he was up and trying to go full steam ahead. He hated staying in the house, hated being around the tension that had engulfed the group but he didn't seem to hate being around her so she would take it. It was hard not to try to get him to slow down, but she hated the look on his face whenever she made the suggestion so she simply let him do what he wanted. He wasn't one that took too kindly to friendly suggestions to take it easy. It seemed like every time she asked him if he was sure that hunting was a good idea, or if he was sure that moving outside was a good idea, he took it as a personal insult to his manhood.

Which simply wasn't true.

But he was stubborn and needed to do things at his own pace, which was to not pace himself at all. So she decided that if he absolutely had to do something then she would make suggestions and hope he agreed to do what she wanted to do instead of pushing himself too hard.

He was slumped in the fold up chair he'd claimed earlier, picking at the breakfast on his lap and staring off dejectedly towards the woods and she knew if she didn't suggest something then he would take off again.

"I think I'm gonna take a walk around the property. There's a lot of acreage here and it's a nice day," she said to no one in particular.

Lori looked up and smiled. "It is. And being here, it's almost like the world is still normal."

Carol nodded in agreement but she noticed him watching her out of the corner of her eye since she mentioned going on a walk. She gathered up the last of the dishes, stopping in front of him to take his plate and saw him narrow his eyes on her. "What are your plans today?" she asked innocently.

He moved his gaze back towards the tree line and pursed his lips. "Guess I'm gonna stick around here today," he said, almost grudgingly.

She made a noncommittal sound at his answer and sat the dishes down next to the tub of soapy water, where Sophia had her hands shoved elbow deep. She was on dish duty, which was part of her punishment for sneaking off. She had indeed saved Daryl's life, but she had also nearly given Carol a heart attack when she had disappeared.

"I want you to stay here with Lori, okay?"

Sophia looked up briefly before nodding. "I know."

Carol sighed, her gaze lingering on her daughter for a few more moments before she turned and strolled away in the direction of the pond. She hadn't been down there but Hershel had told her about it and she wanted to see it. She didn't know how much longer they would be able to stay here, especially with Shane making Hershel and his family edgy, and she wanted to see as much of the place as she could. Lori was right. It was all so... normal here.

"Tryin' your hand at new tactics?"

She fought the victorious smile at the sound of his voice, forced herself not to glance at him from over her shoulder and kept on walking. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied.

Her eyes stayed straight ahead once he caught up with her, though she really wanted to look over to see his expression. She couldn't tell from his tone alone if he was upset, and if he was, that was his problem. She had refrained from begging him to stay close until his body had time to heal.

"You knew if I knew you were gonna wonder all over hell's creation that I wouldn't go huntin', even though you know damn good and well that we're runnin' low on food and can't depend on the old man to keep us up for long."

She finally allowed herself a sideways glance. "Is that what you think I'm doing?"

"Yeah."

She shook her head. "I can't help it if you feel the need to keep an eye on me. If I recall, yesterday, when I tried talking you into staying here I got an ear full. So, should I start yelling now or save it for later?"

He grumbled something under his breath.

"That's what I thought," she sighed. "So, it's okay for you to feel as though you have to look out for me but it isn't okay for me to feel as though I should look out for you?"

He groaned. "Don't do that."

Fighting another smile she stopped hands going to her hips. "Don't do what? Don't point out your little double standard?" she arched a brow.

He gripped the bow strap and glared. "No. Don't go doin' that passive aggressive woman thing. You know exactly what you're doin'."

"And what's that?" she pressed, just because she knew she was under his skin.

He waved her off and started walking again. "What you think you're doin' is teachin' me some kind of lesson. Hate to blow your bubble but it ain't workin'. Cause if I wanted to go then I'd go, whether you wanted to walk around and put your fool self in danger or not."

She grinned and hurried to catch up with him. "So you're here because you want to be and not because the thought of me wondering around alone out here worries you?"

He growled but otherwise ignored her because she already knew the answer. They walked along in silence for a while and then he squinted towards the distance and veered off course. She watched him as he made his way to a cluster of bushes and then followed suit, stopping next to him.

She eyed the clusters of white flowers, admiring them for a few long seconds before looking up at him. He glanced over, meeting her eyes and then nodded towards the flowers.

"They're beautiful," she said, following his gaze and wondering why they had caught his attention. He didn't seem like the type that would take pause just because of a flower, regardless of how nice they looked.

He gave her a swift nod but didn't look at her again. "Cherokee roses."

She waited him out because she could sense that there was more and she wasn't disappointed. He explained the legend of the flower, his eyes never leaving hers and by the time he was done it was her that broke the contact, gazing again at the blooms with a new appreciation and ignoring the small lump in her throat. It reminded her of the hours she had spent wondering if her own child was okay, and reminded her to thank God that she came back unscathed.

To her surprise he reached out, snapping one off, rolling the stem between his thumb and forefinger, carefully avoiding the small thorns, before handing it over.

She bit her lip as she took it, running her fingers over the smooth petals, her chest aching with emotion at the small gesture, because she knew it wasn't really small at all. Not for him and not for her. She was still unaccustomed to this kind and vulnerable side he hid away from everyone else and she knew he was unaccustomed to letting that side of him shine through.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her around to the other side of the bush and pointed, all gruff and businesslike again. "There you go. A pond. Now that you've seen it, we can get back to camp and maybe I'll be able to go catch us some damn dinner."

"We already have dinner covered," she said, tightening her grip on his hand when he tried to drop hers. He gave up quickly, returning the pressure but looking down at her suspiciously.

"What do you mean you got it covered?" he asked.

"Lori and I are gonna cook for the Greene's tonight. Just to show them that we appreciate everything they've done for us here."

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "The man bandaged me up and then let us sleep in his damn yard."

She eyed him until he looked away. "They've also let us use their shower, their food, put up with Shane. And he was willing to let you stay inside until you healed up a little more but you insisted on pitching a tent with the rest of us."

He pulled her towards a small dock. "Yeah, well, I'll admit that was a dumb move," he said, almost to himself and she wondered if he was referring to the fact that the first night she had stayed with him in the bed and the last two nights they had slept in separate tents. She shook the thought, however. She was sure he knew how she felt about him and if he wanted her to sleep with him in his tent he could ask her. Sophia stayed in the RV so he knew that wouldn't have been an issue.

But she didn't bring any of this up. The two of them had gotten close and she valued his friendship. So what if the memory of waking up the other morning wrapped in his arms made her ache. So what if she stayed up, hoping to hear the sound of him stirring outside her tent. None of that mattered because what they had was good.

They walked for a while and he never tried to drop her hand again until they had started back towards the house. She never should have thought about the other morning because now it was all she could think about. Waking up with his solid form molded against her back, his arms banded around her like he had worried she'd leave while he slept. It had all felt too good to be true. She had felt safe, protected.

"The hell are you sighin' about?" he asked as they rounded the corner of the barn.

She glanced up at him, unaware that she had sighed at all. "Nothing," she said a little too quickly.

He eyed her and then decided to drop it.

~H~

Daryl had no intentions of going inside and participating with the others. Sure, the Greene's had been pretty hospitable but the old man didn't really make it a secret that he wanted all of their asses gone, not just Shane's. He knew Rick had talked to the man but that didn't matter. Hershel was still under the illusion that the situation could be salvaged and didn't believe anyone that told him otherwise.

So he didn't see the point in gussying up to sit down with a family that didn't want them there, pretending that everything was fine and dandy.

He looked up at the sound of feet approaching and frowned at the look on Carol's face. She hadn't noticed him yet so she wasn't trying to school her features. She looked a little upset and he had to fight back a flash of anger at whoever could have made her look that way. She finally glanced up, saw him sitting there and tried to smile. It failed. Instead of saying anything at all she slipped into the small tent that had become her new home for the time being.

He pushed himself up and stepped around the fire he'd built, unable to hide his curiosity, because he refused to call it worry so curiosity had to suffice. "Hey, you alright?" he asked and then danced away from a duffel bag that she unceremoniously tossed out of her tent.

She crawled out, grabbing the bag before standing up and glaring at it. "I'm fine."

"Coulda fooled me," he said as she tossed the bag onto a chair and yanked the zipper open.

She shook her head, rifling through her meager stash of clothes. "It's nothing, really. Just..." She let out a long suffering sigh, dropping her hands in defeat before looking up at him. "Everyone else seems to have scrounged up enough to at least look presentable tonight. Lori, Andrea, even the guys. I look as frumpy as usual and for once, I really just want to feel... I don't know." She shook her head. "Forget it. It's stupid."

He swallowed, remembering the day on the road, the fit he'd thrown when Lori had acted like a bitch over the damn dress. He felt his face flush.

"I'll bring you a plate when we're finished, okay?" she said, plastering on a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

She turned to go but he grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Hold on," he muttered, almost wishing he had never stashed the stupid thing in his bag because he didn't want her to know... well... anything.

He dropped his hand and stalked off towards his bike, knowing she was following. He reached into his pack, knowing the difference between the feel of his clothes compared to the dress. He pulled it out and then shoved it into her hands.

With a frown she looked down and then her eyes widened when she shook it out. Her head snapped up, her eyes meeting his and before he could say anything at all she was shaking her head and then she flung her arms around his neck.

His brows went up and he stumbled back a bit but he didn't have to think twice about wrapping his arms around her waist, not giving a fuck at the moment that they were right out in the open and anybody looking out could easily see them.

"Why did you take this?" she asked. She sounded almost choked up.

He shrugged as best he could. "You wanted the damn thing," he grumbled.

She finally pulled away but then her lips brushed his jaw and she took a step back. The look on her face then made him goddamn glad he'd taken the damn dress. "You..." she shook her head. "You're amazing, Daryl Dixon."

He snorted at that. "Well, go on and fancy your ass up so you can have your damn dinner. The sooner it's over the sooner I can have your scraps."

She rolled her eyes at that. "Amazing but still stubborn as a mule." She flashed him one more smile before turning around hurrying back into the house.

He raked a hand through his hair and watched her go inside before returning to his spot in front of the fire. He was tempted to say to hell with it and go inside because he knew seeing her in that damn dress would be worth the dirty looks from Lori and having to deal with Hershel trying to pretend like he didn't mind them there. But he stayed where he was and let his imagination run for a while instead.

~H~

She had been so excited to have this dinner, hoping that everyone would have a good time and maybe leave any bad blood at the door, and it had gone as planned, but she wished it was over. Everyone had plenty of compliments for her and now she felt like squirming and all she wanted to do was take Daryl his food and spend some time with him. She hadn't seen him much, not since their walk this morning, and she found herself unable to focus on the conversations.

To say that she was falling for the man was the understatement of the century. She wasn't even falling anymore, really. She had already fallen, and fallen fast and hard. After all the years living under the oppressive weight of Ed's wrath she never would have thought it was even possible.

But it was very possible. Hell, with Daryl, it was downright inevitable.

She jumped when she felt someone nudge her in the side, startling her out of her thoughts. Andrea was giving her a knowing smile and then she slid a plate over. Carol looked down and frowned, shaking her head.

"Sorry, there's no way I can eat another bite."

Andrea rolled her eyes and nodded towards the door. "This is for Dixon. Go."

Carol opened her mouth to argue but Andrea apparently wasn't having it. "You're finished and everyone knows you're just being polite by sticking around. You already gave Sophia the go ahead to spend the night with Hershel's little girl. Take that insufferable man his food and enjoy your night."

Carol shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm just distracted tonight. I need to change and-"

"Nope." Andrea pulled the plate away. "If you dare change out of that dress I dump this whole plate in the trash and he'll starve. Didn't you let it slip that he was the one that grabbed it for you to begin with? Don't you think that might have been because he was interested in actually seeing you in it?"

Carol scoffed at that. "He grabbed it because he saw me admiring it and he also saw me put it back. It doesn't have anything to do with him wanting to see it on me."

Andrea rolled her expressive eyes. "You're probably right. He'd much rather see you out of it, but that has to wait until later so just take him the food and thank me."

Her face flushed and she glanced around, worrying someone had heard Andrea but everyone else was engrossed in their own conversations. She finally looked at her friend and grabbed the plate. "Even though you're completely ridiculous, thank you."

She said goodnight to the others, kissed Sophia quickly and then hauled ass out the door, feeling self conscious for the first time since putting the damn dress on. Probably because she didn't exactly care what the others thought but Daryl was different. She had spent so long hearing Ed's disgusting insults and being put down for every little flaw that she was almost afraid that Daryl would see those flaws too. She knew it was ridiculous. She knew that Ed was saying anything he could to hurt her and that his words were untrue but when a person heard it so many times, it became hard to shake.

She made a beeline for the campfire where she had left him earlier, pushing back all of her fears and shoving her insecurities to the back of her mind. He had made it clear that first night they stayed in the abandoned house that he had specifically went seeking her out. For whatever reasons, it was her he had wanted, so she shouldn't be so hard on herself.

The sun was nearly down but there was enough light lingering for her to see that he was busy making bolts and he must have been lost in thought because he didn't seem to hear her approach. He didn't look up until she cleared her throat. His head snapped up then and she saw his eyes widen, his lips parting slightly as his gaze raked over her. Like they had a mind of their own his eyes lingered on her chest where the cut of the neckline showed just the barest trace of cleavage.

He finally blinked, like he was coming to his senses and finally leveled his gaze on her face.

"You hungry?" she asked, feeling the blush on her cheeks but ignoring it.

He stood up, letting the bolts fall to the ground and then he shoved his knife back into it's place at his hip. "What?" he asked, looking more flustered than she had ever seen him before. "Oh, yeah," he muttered, taking the plate that she was holding out to him.

He didn't even look at the plate because his eyes were running over her again and she couldn't even begin to try to tamp down her excitement, because there wasn't any judgment or disgust in that gaze. No, there was plenty there to see, but it wasn't anything that she had silently prepared herself for.

She cleared her throat. "Are you gonna bother eating it or..." she let the sentence hang in the air for a second and then he met her eyes, the corner of his mouth turning up.

"Yeah. I plan on eating it," he said, his voice dark, lower than usual.

She didn't miss the implications, couldn't mistake the double meaning in his words even if she had wanted to. Which she didn't.

He sat down on the same log that he had been occupying when she had first came out. She sat a bottle of water at his feet and pulled up one of the lawn chairs, smoothing down the back of her skirt before sitting down across from him.

His reaction tonight had her stomach doing flips, her palms sweating and her mind going back to that room back at the CDC. The tryst hadn't exactly been all fireworks and stars. He had been drunk and she had been ill prepared, all nerves and insecurities. If it happened again would there just be a repeat of that? She quietly decided that it didn't matter. Ed had never been a good lover, greedy, demeaning, selfish. Not to mention he wasn't much to look at on top of all of it. She knew Daryl wouldn't ever be demeaning. The one night they'd been together he had seemed to only have his own pleasure at the forefront of his mind, but that was different.

Besides, it may not ever happen again. She was probably reading him wrong.

And if she wasn't, she silently thanked whatever God was listening that she'd had access to a hot shower and put the razor that Maggie had given her to good use. She smiled to herself, shaking her head at the thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**Good Morning! I wish I could have posted this sooner but I've been unable to get online on my laptop for a few days. So, this one is finally over and I can't promise I'll have anything else finished soon. I'll definitely try like hell, though! So, until next time! Thanks to every one of you that gave this little prompt a shot!**

 **Chapter Six**

Daryl stood up, just realizing that he hadn't tasted a damn thing he had eaten and it was a shame since Carol had probably been the one to do most of the cooking, but damn if he wasn't distracted. The dress wasn't provocative in any way. He had seen hundreds of women, dressed a lot skimpier, but he'd never had much of a reaction. He attributed that to the fact that those women weren't this one.

Whether they were Ed's whims or her own almost all of her clothes hid everything about her figure and he'd gotten used to that. He had been a little surprised back in that room when he had discovered that she had been hiding a lot. But as modest as this dress was, it still clung to all the right places, reminding him that there was a lot of beauty to explore underneath.

"I'm sure there's more if you're still hungry," she said, a nervous edge to her voice.

The woman had no idea just how hungry he was. He shook his head, glancing around the darkened yard. "Everybody else stayin' inside tonight?"

She looked over her shoulder towards the house and then shrugged. "I don't know about the others but Sophia is sleeping inside." She met his eyes briefly before she stood up, tugging at the waist of the dress and smiling slightly. "I should probably change."

She made a move to step past him but he had no plans of letting her do that. He wasn't drunk at the moment. She hadn't made so much as the slightest move to show him that she was interested and after the ass he made of himself when they had actually been physical, he didn't blame her. He knew what he had done, was even embarrassed about it, but when he gripped her arm she made no move to pull away and keep heading to her own tent. He desperately wanted her to know how he felt about her but he couldn't say it. He couldn't tell her that she had already made so much progress since her bastard husband had died, wanted to tell her that he couldn't stop thinking about her, wanted her to know that whatever she was doing to him, just by being her, was making him a better person. He wanted to tell her but the words stuck in his throat.

"Daryl?"

He blinked, realizing that he was still holding on to her arm and hadn't done a thing but stare at her while he dealt with his own silent battle.

He cleared his throat and dropped her arm. "The reason Ed wouldn't let you wear anything like this is cause he knew someone would mention how..." _Say something, goddamn it. Tell her what she needs_ _to hear_. "Everybody would mention how good you looked." _Why couldn't you just tell her she's beautiful you inarticulate redneck!_ He tried to ignore the harsh voice in his head, even though it made some good points.

She blinked a few times, like she hadn't heard him right and then she smiled, her whole face lighting up in a way that he'd never seen before. He kicked himself mentally for not using the word beautiful. If she was this happy about being told she looked good then that would have made her whole goddamn year. "Thank you."

He nodded, feeling like shifting on his feet but forcing himself to stay still.

One more grin and she turned.

Fuck.

He grabbed her arm again, wishing he was better at this, or at least wishing for a shot of something strong so he wouldn't feel so self conscious. Or maybe if she had given him some sort of sign. This time he stepped in front of her and refused to let his mind over think. He kissed her, remembering how last time his mouth had crashed into hers almost violently. This was different. It had to be different. His lips barely brushed hers at first. He had to do this right this time, if she was actually going to give him a chance. No rushing it.

He pulled back slightly, because he needed to know if this was okay and when his eyes met hers they were wide and almost disbelieving, but she didn't seem to be afraid, and she didn't seem unwilling to let him have another go at it so he came back in, more pressure this time. Relief washed over him when he felt her hands, warm and sure, on the sides of his neck. He knew she could feel his pulse throbbing fast and hard but he didn't care. The fact that she was touching him was promise enough that she wanted the same thing he did.

Her lips parted and he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding along hers as she ran her fingers through his hair. He pulled her closer and couldn't resist the urge to slip his hands around from her hips to her ass. He still wasn't exactly sure where she stood but she seemed to be into it this time so he figured he was onto something. He kept his movements slow, because if he let himself get carried away he wasn't sure if he'd be able to stop himself from having a repeat of what had happened that first time and she deserved so much more than that.

He had to admit that this was actually a lot better for him. He was able to take the time to appreciate more, like the way her body arched into his and the taste of her mouth, sweet like the tea he knew she had been drinking inside.

She finally pulled away but her hands trailed down his arms and her eyes shone in the darkness, reflecting the firelight. He searched her face when she started pushing the bow strap away from his shoulder. He caught it before the bow could clatter to the ground and then she turned, reaching behind and grabbing hold of his hand. He followed, his eyes trained on the sway of her hips.

Without a backwards glance she bent down and disappeared into her tent. He worried his lip, his eyes taking in the immediate vicinity and deemed it safe enough for now. He dropped the bow next to the opening and then crawled in after her. She was on her knees, her fingers nervously running over the neckline of the dress. His eyes followed the movement and then he moved closer, gripping her hands and pulling until she was flush against him again.

Her arms wound around his neck and she smiled before she kissed him. He ran his hands up her back, fingers seeking some way to get the goddamn dress off of her, a button or a zipper. She smiled against his lips but pulled away, meeting his gaze before she brought her hands around and started pushing the vest away from his shoulders. She wasn't going to let him get away with keeping his clothes on this time, and that was okay. She'd already seen him, and she hadn't judged. Once she had his shirt undone he shrugged it off and waited as her eyes ran over him, wanting to squirm under that heated gaze but refusing to do it.

He tensed when the sound of the screen door falling back into place shattered the silence and then muted conversations from the others drifted over. She didn't seem to even hear it, her eyes still running over him, like she'd never seen a man's physique before, and the strangest thing of all was the obvious want in her eyes. He wasn't accustomed to a look like that from a woman like her and it gave him pause, wondering if maybe his assessment of himself could have been a little off. That look was doing wonders for his self esteem.

Her hands came up, fingertips trailing lightly over his chest, a feather light caress that had the muscles in his stomach jumping and blood rushing south so fast it left him light headed. He swallowed when her hands went to work on his belt, shoving it open almost violently before her mouth was on his, hot and greedy. He had to wrap his arms around her just to keep from falling backwards. He grunted and reached down, stopping her before she could shove her hand down his pants.

She broke the kiss and pulled away slightly, her wrists going slack in his hands and her eyes dropping. "I'm sorry. I-"

Well fuck. He didn't want her to think he didn't want this, he just didn't want her doing anything just yet. Words to reassure her failed him so he pulled her arms up and around his neck again and then kissed her lightly once, twice, three times until she smiled against his lips and the tension left her body. He smiled right back. "If you wanna get anything outta this this time, you might wanna keep your hands to yourself for a bit."

She laughed quietly but he saw relief in her eyes. He was sure that for a second she was thinking that he might be rejecting her. He reminded himself that her wounds were a lot more recent than his were, and he needed to be careful. He wanted to show her that the past was staying where it was and she wouldn't ever have to deal with anything like that again. She was the best person he'd ever known and it infuriated him that she was still stuck with all those insecurities that a man that never deserved her had put into her head.

His lips went to her throat and her head fell to the side, giving him better access while his hands still searched the back of the dress for a zipper. When he couldn't find one he finally just bunched up the skirt and started working the whole thing up her body. She dropped her hands from around him and helped him work the material over her head. Without a word she reached behind her, unhooking the simple white bra that covered her and let it slide down her arms. Now it was his turn to stare.

The other time he had been so out of his mind that he hadn't really taken his time to appreciate her so he was planning on getting his share of it now. Unlike him, however, she couldn't control the urge to let her nerves get the better of her and her arms came up, crossing over her chest, her eyes once again downcast.

He didn't try to pull her arms away but he placed a finger under her chin, lifting her head up until she reluctantly met his eyes. Without a word he pressed his lips to hers again, his hands going to her hips, running up her sides and back down, hoping he could sooth her nerves. She let out a breath and dropped her hands, placing them flat against his chest as his lips trailed over her jaw. He moved forward, gripping the back of her thighs and lifting her slightly until she was wrapping her legs around his waist.

As soon as he had her on her back he settled between her legs and tried hard to ignore the urge to rush this, but Jesus he remembered how good she had felt inside and wanted it again so badly that it hurt.

She made a low little moan in the back of her throat when he moved his head down, running his nose down the valley between her breasts, inhaling the sweet scent of her and stifling a groan and even the sound of footsteps outside the tent didn't deter him.

"Is that Dixon's bow?" Shane's voice, low and questioning sounded nearby. For once the man's voice held no sign of malice, just curiosity and slight disbelief.

Carol froze but Daryl just kept moving and when his lips closed over the peak of one breast the breath exploded from her lungs and her fingers threaded through his hair, anchoring him to her and causing her to squirm.

He scraped his teeth against the sensitive bud and was rewarded by a gasp before she arched into him. He grinned against her skin, his hand dropping to the back of her thigh so he could drag her leg higher over his hip. God, he wanted to get his fucking pants off! But he'd wait. He'd do this right even if it killed him. She deserved to know that she deserved better. She deserved better than a sick sadistic husband that abused her and she deserved better than getting stripped and pawed at by some drunken overeager redneck in a storage room at the end of the world.

There was a sheen of sweat covering her now despite the cool temperatures that nightfall had brought to them. She was trembling under his touch and he was amazed that he was getting this reaction out of her. It filled him with a single minded purpose. He never imagined that anyone could respond to his touch like this and it was driving him crazy, almost as if her body was a drug his mind was hazy. He abandoned her breasts, moving back up so he could kiss her one more time before he moved. Her mouth was hot and greedy on his, a stark contrast to the way she had kissed him thus far but he approved. When he pulled back her eyes were wide and vulnerable.

Coming up on his knees he looked down at her, hooking his fingers through the waistband of her panties and tugging lightly until she lifted her hips.

~H~

She cursed her husband to the fiery pits of hell once Daryl had removed the last bit of clothing she had on. Bracing herself, she fisted the blanket in her hands and waited for him to realize that he didn't want to be here with someone like her. Waited for the pain she'd feel at his rejection. A huge part of her knew that she was wrong, that Daryl would never treat her like that, but she was conditioned to feel otherwise. That first time, that had been different and she knew it, fast and frenzied and he had been drunk. This was something else and she couldn't help but fear that he was only setting her up to hurt her. No matter how much stronger she was becoming, she couldn't shake this particular fear.

He met her eyes in the dim light and his narrowed slightly before his hands landed on her knees, which had somehow closed together tightly without her telling them to. She wanted to cry because she knew he wouldn't understand. He would think it was him because his own self worth was as torn apart as her own. He would think she didn't want him and to cover up his own pain and humiliation he would cloak it in anger. Either way, she would be left hurting.

He studied her eyes for a few more moments and then his expression cleared and he chewed his lip, letting his hands slide down her outer thighs. Her heart was thundering hard in her chest and she wished they hadn't done this. Wished they could go back to their easy friendship, but they could never do that. And really, she'd never stop wanting him this way so there was no point in trying to hide from it. Or there hadn't been a point until now.

He swallowed hard and nudged her knees apart, his body moving forward until he was braced over her. She tried to force that earlier feeling to return, just focus on how different this was, being with him like this, knowing he wanted her, but it was so hard. She was pretty sure that she was in the middle of a mild panic attack. This man had the ability to destroy her worse than Ed ever could have and she had never felt so exposed before.

"If I had it all to do over again I never woulda did what I did back there at the CDC," he said, his voice low and husky.

She flinched and she was sure she could hear the sound of her heart breaking in half. Horrified tears sprang from nowhere and overflowed. Here it was. Him telling her that she disgusted him. That what had happened had been a mistake that he wished he could take back... That he hadn't meant for them to get this far and...

"Because you deserved a whole goddamn lot better than that," he went on, his eyes earnest as they searched hers. "You deserved more than Ed ever gave you and you'll deserve more than I'll ever give, but I'm gonna try, alright? If you'll have me, I'll die tryin'."

Her heart stopped for a few beats and she was sure she had heard him wrong. Surely he didn't-

"Throw me a bone here, woman. I kinda just laid it all out there," he whispered, worry lacing his words. "You and the kid are all I got so this is kind of a big deal and I need to know. I ain't got a lot to offer but, like I said, I'm gonna try like hell to give you both everything I got."

Fresh tears spilled over and she felt like her chest would explode with the emotion she felt for this incredible man. He sighed heavily and made a move like he was about to sit up but she reached up, cupping the back of his head and pulled him down until his mouth crashed against hers. He grunted at the impact but the intensity of the kiss had him lowering his body until he was nestled between her legs.

She would never be able to express how relieved she was and how touched she was that he would go so far out of his comfort zone to put himself out there for her. And he still had no idea how amazing he was, and how lucky she was that he felt this way, and how him including her daughter, knowing they were a package deal and he wanted them both, was too much to contemplate right now.

Despite the emotion roiling through her, the heat of his body pressed against hers and the soft caress of his tongue as he traced the seam of her lips caused her to remember that she was very naked, and he very much wanted her. Wanted all of her. Not just for a fun romp in a tent at the end of the world, but wanted to be with her.

He broke the kiss and once again his mouth was moving away from hers, blazing a daring path down the center of her chest, his teeth nipping the taught skin above her belly button before she realized what his end game was and the fire in her belly spread through her veins, her chest rising and falling with the breaths she struggled for. She'd had the pleasure of kissing the man, had had the pleasure of watching that erotic tongue of his any time his fingers got messy from eating and the thought of him using it on her had her mouth going dry.

He took his time, like he had to pay close attention to every dip and curve of her body and she had never felt anything like it. He made her feel things she hadn't felt in a very long time. She felt sexy, wanted. This was so much different from that first time and she knew that he was letting her know that there was more to him, more to _them_ , than a quick drunken tryst on the floor of a storage room.

Her patience worn thin and she threaded her fingers through his hair, pushing boldly and was rewarded with his warm breath cooling her skin as he chuckled at her impatience. But he took the hint graciously and she came up on her elbows, gasping for breath when she felt the hot flat of his tongue taste her in one long fluid lick.

His eyes snapped up, meeting hers and then he gripped her behind the knees, shoving her legs up higher until her heels were resting on his shoulders. Her mouth dropped open when he winked and then went to work, showing off a cocky side that she never would have expected him to possess. As much as she loved the shy and awkward man that she had grown so used to, when they were alone, she could really get used to this more confident Daryl.

She clamped her hand over her own mouth when his lips enclosed that small bundle of nerves, sucking gently as he eased two fingers inside. White pinpricks of light danced behind her eyelids as her world seemed to explode around her. The pleasure was sharp and surprising in it's intensity and she must have cried out because despite her own hand covering her mouth, he brought his up quickly, covering her own as he kept up a languid pace. This was all too much for her body to handle and without her telling it too she tried to move away from the pleasure, her feet slipping from his shoulders and digging into the blankets she was lying on, but he was having none of it. His free arm went around her and he pulled her back, holding her still and forcing her to breathe through it.

She had never been one of those lucky women that achieved orgasm easily and she was in a mild state of disbelief that he was able to bring her to that precarious brink so fast. Finally he moved his hand away from hers and her arms dropped, limp and useless to her sides.

He came up on his knees, breathing heavily himself as he pushed his hair back from his forehead. "You okay?" he asked, the cocky look was gone and was replaced with a look disbelief, eyes wide.

She nodded and felt a slow grin spread over her face.

He snorted, shaking his head but then he graced her with a grin of his own, a full on smile that was part bashful boy and part self satisfied man. He dropped over her, catching himself with one hand while the other went to unbutton his pants but she beat him to it, her hands sliding down his stomach and brushing his own away. As soon as they were open she started shoving them down and he stifled a laugh between her neck and shoulder. She gave up and used her feet.

His mouth was on hers again as soon as he had his pants kicked away. He shifted slightly, came down on his forearms and then she felt him moving into her, slower than the first time. He broke the kiss, his eyes meeting hers as he filled her, jaw clenched tightly. She knew what he wanted to do. He was holding back for her and she loved him for it but she needed the same thing he needed right now. She raised her hips swiftly, taking the rest of him in and saw his eyes narrow on hers.

Before she could blink he dropped his head, his teeth teasing her skin, putting just enough pressure and then he was moving, holding on to that self control he'd discovered. He pressed her into the pile of blankets, his body moving with hers as they found a rhythm that seemed to heighten their pleasure.

She felt his hand sliding down the back of her thigh, over her hip, exploring every inch of skin he could reach while she did the same, mapping out the muscles moving under her fingertips as he moved into her, his back flexing as his arms strained as he held himself up. Time ceased to exist to either of them as they explored one another.

"Damn it," he breathed, his forehead dropping to hers as his body tensed.

She knew he was trying to hold back but when he stopped altogether and pulled away she was stunned.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Sure, she wasn't expecting to be able to join him but that didn't mean she wasn't enjoying it! She had never been able to get off simply by having sex.

He shook his head. "That ain't how this is gonna play out," he said, his voice intense. "Roll over."

She gaped at him but he looked dead serious, her face flushing but he only huffed at her and raised one eyebrow. She chewed her lip and decided that she may as well do what he wanted, since he'd gone out of his way for her earlier. She did as he said, nearly crying out when he gripped her hips and hauled her up until she was on all fours.

She hated to admit that she had never had it this way but she didn't have much time to think about it before he was pushing back into her. The angle was different, his thrusts deeper and she heard a strangled sound before she realized she was the one that had made it. She arched her back, pushing into him harder and tried to keep quiet, knew she really needed to, but her body was coiling like a spring, her nerve endings tingling as he kept up those deep powerful thrusts. Pressure mounted and she was shocked, knowing she was about to come undone, knowing he was driving her to that place that apparently only he was capable of taking her.

The build up was much slower but once the pleasure exploded inside her it was like nothing she had ever experienced before. Suddenly his hand was clamped over her mouth and he was hauling her up until her back was flush with his chest.

"Good girl," he crooned into her ear and the sound seemed to vibrate through her just as his other hand slid between her legs, playing over her skillfully and driving her even further out of her mind. She heard him growl close to her ear and then his thrusts faltered but heat pulsed inside of her and she knew he had finally let go.

His forehead dropped heavily to her shoulder as his chest heaved against her back, trying to catch his breath. She was grateful for the arm he had wrapped around her to hold her in place because she was sure without it she would fall flat on her face. Her body was still shuddering hard as aftershocks rocked through her. After a few long moments he gripped her hip and eased away from her and then flopped gracelessly onto his back on the pile of blankets. She scrambled to join him, dragging the sheet that was puddled around his hips up over her chest as she stared, still dazed, at the peaked roof of the tent.

A few seconds later a strange sound reached their ears and they both raised their heads before sharing a look. They both must have realized what the sound was at the same time, their eyes widening in unison.

At least four people were clapping from somewhere outside.

"Oh my God," she hissed, covering her mouth as her head hit the pillow. "They heard all of that? How?"

He shook his head and ran a hand over his face. "Cause you got a loud mouth," he muttered.

She was worried for a second but then she risked a glance at him and was surprised when he met her eyes and then laughed. The sound made her heart swell.

"I guess if anybody has to hear me in action, it might as well be this time instead of the first, huh?"

She grinned. "You were a complete stallion that night and don't think any differently."

He rolled over, half pinning her and flashing that grin again. The one that did very strange things to her heart. She reached up, pushing a strand of hair from his eyes. He turned his head just a fraction and pressed his lips to her palm.

After everything they had just done, it was that moment and that sweet gesture that sealed it for her. She was in love with this man, and she was certain that he was in love with her and from here on out, neither of them would ever have to face the pain of loneliness again.


End file.
